An under-construction water tank collapsed in Bengaluru’s Amruthahalli on June 17, killing three construction workers and injuring around 15 others.
When the under-construction tank collapsed, about 25 workers were present at the 30-acre plot where a new Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) was being built. Although the workers were wearing helmets, they did not have protective suits on.
One NDRF team carried out the search operations and eight fire engines were sent to the spot. 15 people have been pulled out of the debris so far.
While four of them were rushed to Chaitanya Hospital, six were taken to Columbia Asia Hospital. The workers are from West Bengal and Bihar.
How Did The Mishap Take Place?
The DCP North-East said that the central portion of the ceiling collapsed onto the workers when they were constructing the ceiling of the water tank. The collapse was the result of a crack that had developed on a pillar which was constructed to support the inside part of the tank. A dome was being constructed, the weight of which was so much that it resulted in the pillar developing cracks.
“According to initial investigation, the pillar, which was constructed to support the inside part of the tank, had developed a crack, resulting in the collapse of the centering,” The Indian Express quoted a police official as saying.
The project was being carried out after tenders were issued by Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) to construct the STP. BWSSB officials and Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Krishna Byre Gowda visited the spot to take stock of the situation.
In connection with the mishap, a case of criminal negligence has been registered.
In the past two months, this is the second incident of a structural collapse being reported from Bengaluru. On April 5, a portion of an under-construction multi-level car parking facility collapsed in the northern suburb of Yeshwantpur in Bengaluru, killing two migrant workers. Both of them were labourers and were engaged in the construction project within the premises of the APMC.
